Defense Mechanisms and Risky Behaviors Among College Students: The Mediating Role of Self-esteem

Abstract

Background: Risky behaviors among college students have been considered a major problem in every country. Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate how defense mechanisms and self-esteem could explain risk-taking behaviors among college students. Methods: This is an analytic study with a correlation design. Participants were 410 undergraduate students aged 18 to 24 from universities across Tehran during the academic year 2023 - 2024 (female = 250, male = 160). The Defense Styles Questionnaire, the Risk-Taking Scale, and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale were used for data collection. Results: Structural equation modeling validated the proposed model, demonstrating that defense mechanisms predict risky behaviors both directly and indirectly through self-esteem (Chisq/df = 2.08; CFI > 0.9; AGFI > 0.8; RMSEA < 0.08). The results of the study revealed that immature and neurotic defense mechanisms were linked to a higher likelihood of engaging in risky behaviors (P < 0.05). Additionally, self-esteem functions as the psychological mechanism that mediates the connection between defense mechanisms and the tendency towards risky behavior. Notably, the association between mature defense mechanisms and risky behavior was found to be non-significant. Conclusions: It appears that self-esteem functions as a trans-diagnostic construct, offering predictive insights into risky behaviors that extend beyond the influence of defense mechanisms alone. Even with mature defense mechanisms, students may still engage in risky behaviors. The findings of this study are confined to the group of students and, due to its cross-sectional nature in establishing causality, are not comprehensive.